A taste that brings you back
Support from the “Family to Family” project helped Ms. Oksana resume her beloved work after being forced to flee occupied Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region
Oksana is a certified tour guide who, prior to the full-scale Russian invasion, was developing culinary tourism in her native Kherson region. She took those eager to “experience the flavors of interesting places” to Dzharylgach Island, invited them to tastings at a château in the Odesa region, or to visit snail farms in the Mykolaiv region. Today she lives in Chernivtsi and is launching her own project – “Craft Journeys with the Taste Fairy.” She is a participant in the Ukrainian-Polish project “Family to Family.”
“I want people to do more than just taste a dish and leave after 20 minutes. It’s important to me that they find peace of mind,” says Oksana.
Intimate Gatherings Instead of Tours
Her gatherings feel more like cozy evenings among friends than traditional tours.
Here, participants sample Bukovinian dishes, paint with watercolors, reminisce about their childhood, talk about self-love, and learn to appreciate life’s simple joys.
One of the main culinary “stars” is the Bukovinian “baba negra” – a dessert with an almost magical history.
“Imagine: all the ingredients are white – kefir, flour, baking soda, sugar. And after five hours in the oven, you get an almost black, chocolate cake. For me, this is the true magic of Bukovina,” she smiles.
After baking, the “baba negra” “rests” for a few more hours in the warmth, acquiring a special flavor and texture.
But for Oksana, something else is more important – what happens around this dessert.
“I always ask: what does your childhood taste like? What dessert did your grandmother make? And at that moment, people seem to return to their childhood selves.”
That is exactly how the atmosphere she calls “taste therapy” is born.
A Space Where People Remember Themselves
During the sessions, participants draw their emotions, write down small wishes, compose “letters of self-love,” and talk about things they often don’t have time for in their daily lives. “We’re constantly living for someone else: for our children, parents, or work. And for ourselves – ‘later.’ But when is ‘later,’ I ask. I want people to remember themselves, at least during my meetings.”
That’s exactly why these gatherings are intimate – up to eight people. “I don’t want to host busloads of tourists. It’s important to me to hear everyone. If someone comes alone, feeling nervous – saying, ‘I don’t have company, I don’t have anyone to come with’ – I say: ‘Don’t worry, today I’ll be your friend.’”
These words encapsulate the entire philosophy of the project. No pretension, no distance. With tastings and warm conversations – just like visiting an old friend. Oksana doesn’t introduce guests to the region’s traditional dishes like bograch or banosh; instead, she recommends trying a sweet new treat – the “Chernivtsi” cake – along with local drinks and original Bukovinian delicacies, and offers small handmade gifts as souvenirs.
“… And then I realized: it’s not just me who needs this”
Oksana’s own story is also about finding a sense of stability.
Before the war, she taught at a school, instructing students in Ukrainian language and literature. That was her main job, and she organized culinary tours in her spare time. In April 2022, she and her family left occupied Nova Kakhovka. It was very difficult and risky. The road, the unknown, temporary shelters, living “out of a suitcase.”
“The hardest part is the waiting. You keep thinking: just a little longer – and we’ll be home. Another month, another two… And then you realize: life goes on, and it’s as if you’ve put it on pause,” Oksana says.
In Chernivtsi, she initially worked online and hardly ever left the house. She was depressed. What she missed most was something simple – face-to-face interaction.
“It got especially sad on the weekends. And then I thought: why not start doing what I love here?”
That’s how “Craft Adventures with the Taste Fairy” came to be.
Oksana still remembers the first meeting. “When the first people arrived, I realized: it’s not just me who needs this. People also want warmth, peace, and this kind of live interaction. After our meetings, people say, ‘I feel like I’ve been recharged.’ And for me, that’s the most valuable thing.”
Support That Becomes Part of History
Participating in the “Family to Family” project helped Oksana get her business off the ground in a new location. With the funds she received, she was able to produce promotional materials – business cards, notepads, and brochures – sponsor social media posts about her business, buy an easel for creative activities, a cooler bag for field trips, as well as a microphone and a power bank – everything needed to make her meetings even more comfortable and welcoming for guests.
“I am very grateful to the Polish families who support this project. It’s not just help – it’s the feeling that you’re not alone.”
And she adds with a smile: “I’m waiting for Polish benefactors in Ukraine – after the war is over. I’ll be happy to introduce them to local flavors and help them experience the special, sweet soul of Bukovina. Tell them I’ll be waiting. Make sure they come.”
Oksana is convinced that food can tell a story about a city just as well as architecture or museums.
“In Chernivtsi, everyone talks about the university, the town hall, and the old historic buildings. But a city is also its flavors. Without them, history is incomplete.”
Because sometimes the shortest path to a city is through taste. And the most human path to oneself is through warmth and mutual understanding.
The “Family to Family” project, implemented by the Caritas-Spes Ukraine Regional Office with financial support from Caritas Polska in the Kharkiv-Zaporizhzhia Diocese and the Lviv Archdiocese, provides assistance to Ukrainians who find themselves in difficult circumstances as a result of the war. The project provides cash assistance and grants to help people start their own businesses.
